Logo

History Quiz - The First World War 04 (Questions)

This KS3 History quiz is about the First World War. The first two months of the war involved large movements of troops with battles being fought in Belgium and France. During the rest of 1914, the opposing armies dug in. They created systems of trenches close to the front line, often just a few tens of metres apart. Behind the front line trenches were a network of other trenches to allow the soldiers to move around. There were also underground shelters where they could sleep in reasonable safety when they were not on duty at the front. In order to attack the Germans, the troops went over the top - in other words, they climbed out of the trench and advanced across no man's land.

In 1915, there was a stalemate when neither side gained or lost much territory. Britain tried to break this by attempting to open a second front in Turkey at Gallipoli. This failed and cost the lives of tens of thousands of Australians and New Zealanders. During the period of 1916 to 1918, it was a war of attrition. Each side threw huge numbers of soldiers into battle to try to wear down the other armies. The battles of this part of the war lasted months and claimed the lives of millions of men. Perhaps the most famous of these was the Battle of the Somme.

1. What was the first poison gas used in the war?
[ ] Chlorine
[ ] Cyanide
[ ] Phosgene
[ ] Sulfur
2. The Gallipoli landings of 1915 aimed to defeat which ally of Germany?
[ ] Austria
[ ] Hungary
[ ] Italy
[ ] Turkey
3. Which 1916 battle was a symbol of the horrors of war?
[ ] Artois
[ ] Flers
[ ] Fromelles
[ ] The Somme
4. The Somme aimed to force German troops away from which battle?
[ ] Cambrai
[ ] Loos
[ ] Verdun
[ ] Ypres
5. What signal usually ordered men 'over the top'?
[ ] A gunshot
[ ] A shout
[ ] A siren
[ ] A whistle
6. Which countries' troops fought at Gallipoli?
[ ] Australia and New Zealand
[ ] Australia and South Africa
[ ] Canada and New Zealand
[ ] Canada and USA
7. What was NOT used during the Battle of the Somme?
[ ] Helicopters
[ ] Machine guns
[ ] Mustard gas
[ ] Tanks
8. The major German attack on the Western Front in spring 1918 was the .......
[ ] Hindenburg Offensive
[ ] Luddendorf Offensive
[ ] Maastricht Offensive
[ ] Scheldt Offensive
9. What method forced men to join the British Army?
[ ] Conscription
[ ] Encryption
[ ] Inscription
[ ] Procrastination
10. What did the Germans call their submarines?
[ ] D-Boats
[ ] S-boats
[ ] U-boats
[ ] X-boats

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - World War One

Logo
History Quiz - The First World War 04 (Answers)
1. What was the first poison gas used in the war?
[x] Chlorine
[ ] Cyanide
[ ] Phosgene
[ ] Sulfur
Chlorine is a green coloured gas that is very acidic as well as being poisonous
2. The Gallipoli landings of 1915 aimed to defeat which ally of Germany?
[ ] Austria
[ ] Hungary
[ ] Italy
[x] Turkey
The Turkish soldiers had good positions high on the slopes above the beaches at Gallipoli. The attacking forces had no chance of success
3. Which 1916 battle was a symbol of the horrors of war?
[ ] Artois
[ ] Flers
[ ] Fromelles
[x] The Somme
51 VCs were won by British soldiers, 17 posthumously
4. The Somme aimed to force German troops away from which battle?
[ ] Cambrai
[ ] Loos
[x] Verdun
[ ] Ypres
The idea was to weaken the German defences at Verdun so that the French army could break through
5. What signal usually ordered men 'over the top'?
[ ] A gunshot
[ ] A shout
[ ] A siren
[x] A whistle
The more experienced soldiers often went first as they knew that they would have a few seconds to find some cover in a shell hole in no man's land before the Germans reacted and started firing at them
6. Which countries' troops fought at Gallipoli?
[x] Australia and New Zealand
[ ] Australia and South Africa
[ ] Canada and New Zealand
[ ] Canada and USA
The ANZAC forces: Australia and N.Z. Army Corps
7. What was NOT used during the Battle of the Somme?
[x] Helicopters
[ ] Machine guns
[ ] Mustard gas
[ ] Tanks
Over one million men were killed in this battle alone
8. The major German attack on the Western Front in spring 1918 was the .......
[ ] Hindenburg Offensive
[x] Luddendorf Offensive
[ ] Maastricht Offensive
[ ] Scheldt Offensive
Allies retreated but Germans failed to break through
9. What method forced men to join the British Army?
[x] Conscription
[ ] Encryption
[ ] Inscription
[ ] Procrastination
It was introduced in 1916 because the army needed to replace the men that had been killed
10. What did the Germans call their submarines?
[ ] D-Boats
[ ] S-boats
[x] U-boats
[ ] X-boats
Unterseeboot - German for 'undersea boat'